


Pieces of Us

by Altamiya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Lotor is really evil there, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02 AU, after shiro disappeared, and keith/lotor, reluctant black paladin keith, shiro/lotor later on, written before s3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-02-22 07:45:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13162449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altamiya/pseuds/Altamiya
Summary: Post s2.Shiro disappeared and Keith has troubles dealing with it and his new responsibilities as Black Paladin. And when Lotor is added to the mix and swears to destroy Team Voltron, it's only spelling the beginning of troubles.Written before s3 aired, and finally finding the motivation to post it. Let's do it until the end!Updates every other Tuesdays (at least)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome to my first long fic: in English and in this fandom.  
> I'll try to make it an enjoyable ride. It was supposed to be my Sheith BB but real life happened and I just started working on the fic again and I'm sending it in the outer net to see if it still interests people. It's angsty and a lot of tags will be added later but if I forgot anything, please tell me.  
> I plan to update it weekly, or every other week if I use my Tuesdays for other fics, but not more than two weeks between chapters!

"We have to tow him back to the ship!"

 

The Red and Green Lions took Black in their paws and brought her back to the Castle. They put her in the hangar and quickly rushed back to their own. There wasn’t enough room to accommodate all three lions. It ate Keith from the inside. Something was wrong with Shiro, he did not know what and he had to take a detour to park his fucking lion. He hit the control panel, hard enough to hurt himself. Red tried to reach him through their connection but he brushed her off.

 

 _Please let him be okay. Please, please, let him be okay._ As soon as Keith's feet touched the ground, he broke off into a desperate sprint. His lungs hurt, his legs hurt, but he was carried by his mantra of “please let Shiro be alright”. He didn't even think about the alternative. He just couldn't.

 

So he ran, even if there was still no answer to his calls on their shared radio channel.

_ Please no, please no, no no no no, not again, not him, no. _

 

His mind was filled with static, the thoughts turning round and round in his head driving him crazy. He had to reach the Black Lion first. He ran faster, faster than the others, faster than he usually did. Shiro was alone. Shiro was okay, he had to be, but he was alone and not responding.

 

"Shiro!" he called out as soon as the Black Lion was in sight. She was lying prone as if abandoned. But Shiro was in the cockpit. Keith was ready to tear the lion apart with his bare hands if some malfunction caused it to not open

 

He didn't have to. It did open. But the cockpit was empty. The pilot seat was empty. All lights were off. Shiro was not there.

 

"He's gone."

Keith didn't care who said that. He was gripping the back of the seat  _ hard _ . He didn't utter a word. Shiro was gone. He felt the looks the team shared behind him, gauging his reaction. He couldn’t react. He just felt… dull. Empty. Detached. Shiro was gone, and he didn't feel anything. He just couldn't believe it. Last time he had felt this empty... He gripped the back of the seat even harder.

 

_ The Kerberos expedition has gone missing. A pilot error seems to be the cause of the accident. _

He heard a sniffle behind him. He did not look back. Someone was crying, but it was not him. Why couldn’t he cry?

He heard Hunk trying to shush the crier behind him.

"Shush Pidge, it's okay, it's okay, we'll find him," he said with his best attempt at a calm voice, even if it seemed clear he was everything but.

"It's not okay," cried Pidge, with a hysteric note in her voice. "SHIRO'S GONE! HE DISAPPEARED! How could it be okay?" Her voice broke at the end in a pitiful sob. 

Keith's heart broke also. It was all true. He felt all his emotions rushing back with a vengeance. The calm had passed.

Now there was pain. And anger. So much pent-up anger.

 

He slammed his hand down on the back of the pilot seat hard enough to hear a crack. That didn’t stop him. He was pure fury. Anger at Zarkon, anger at the Galra. Because they took Shiro from him. Not once, but  _ twice _ . Anger at Allura and the Blades of Marmora, because their plan was a failure and cost him Shiro. Anger at the other paladins because if they had beaten Zarkon faster, Shiro would be there. Anger at himself, the disgusting Galra hybrid (and the less said about that, the better). He lead the others to the Blue Lion, so it was his fault that they were stuck in space to be paladins of Voltron. He was too weak and couldn't beat Zarkon even while piloting a Lion. If he had, their fight would have been over.

 

He also loathed Shiro, with a bright and burning hatred. Because he abandoned him twice. He chose Kerberos instead of him and then he went, and got abducted for a year. And then he just disappeared. After spending so much time preparing Keith to take his place. As if he knew what would happen. As if he  _ wanted _ that to happen.

He barely heard the others call his name when he began to move quickly. He rushed past the seat, pushing Lance aside as he did so. The tears of rage and grief were beginning to blind him, but not as much as the intensity of his fury.

 

He ripped off the black bayard from its socket. He struck the control panel of the Black Lion with it. Sparks flew. He heard Allura shout, "Keith, stop!" but he didn't care. Not after everything. With a feral scream, he struck again. 

"Make him STOP!" screamed the princess in a panicked voice. He heard Red roar in his head, but he kept at it. Lance stepped towards him to stop him mid-swing. Keith glared at him through the tears. Lance stepped back. Keith raised his arm again, but this time he was physically hauled away from the control panel by Hunk. He kicked and thrashed, but his feet didn't touch the ground anymore. Hunk was hanging on tight.

 

"I got him!"

"Get him out!" ordered Allura. "Keith, calm down!"

"HUNK, LET ME DOWN!"

"I can't do that buddy, you've got to stop!"

"LET ME GO!"

"Keith, calm down, you're scaring us, dude," Lance tried to say.

"Where is Shiro?! Where is he?!"

"Keith, stop it," said Allura with a regal voice and a natural authority. "Drop the sword or we will have to subdue you by force."

 

What sword? He didn't understand. He finally looked at his hand. The black bayard had changed and taken form. It was a vicious looking barbed sword, longer and heavier than the form taken by his own Bayard. He dropped it. It fell down with a loud clank on the hangar's floor.

Keith felt the sobs coming. He wanted to drop dead, he wanted to curl up, but he couldn't, not with the bear hug in which Hunk was holding him. His body was trembling. He couldn’t stop the wracking sobs coming out of him, he could not breathe. It was all too much: the sadness, the pain, Hunk’s embrace, it was all too much.

 

"Let me down," he pleaded pitifully. Hunk dropped him, still hovering around. Keith did not care. He fell to his knees and cried, his face covered with his trembling hands. He never cried harder in his life, full of tears, screams, and sobs.

He couldn't breathe. His lungs weren’t getting enough air. He was drowning on the ground.

He was still crying, sobbing, hiccuping from the pain, the anger and everything in between. He couldn't stop the tears no matter how much he willed them away. The salted tears stung, snot was running down his face, his knees ached beneath him.

 

He was too weak. Too weak to save Shiro, too weak to stand up again. He did not deserve to be here. He faintly heard the voice of his fellow paladins, from far away. He was drowning in more ways than one. He hurt all over: his hearts hurt, his head hurt, his hand and knees hurt. And he still couldn’t stop crying, taking desperate gulps of air in between sobs.

He heard footsteps behind him.

“That’s enough of this,” Allura said, putting her hand between his shoulder blades. Then he blacked out.

  
  


The night before their final confrontation with Zarkon, Keith had joined Shiro in his quarters. He hadn’t done it since they came back from the Blade of Marmora’s base. He needed time to process the revelation of his heritage and before he could react, he was sent in the Weblum and things just kept coming. Shiro welcomed him with the sincere and warm smile he always reserved to Keith and it always made butterflies do somersaults in his stomach.

 

“Hey, you” Shiro whispered, coming to meet him, cupping his face with his hands.

The contrast between his warm flesh hand and the coldness of his prosthetic always made Keith shiver.

“Hey”, he answered in a breath, placing his hand on Shiro’s flesh one.

Shiro pulled him closer, to chastely kiss him on the lips.

“You seem worried. Is everything okay?”

“I...I am. I mean, the last time we confronted Zarkon, it didn’t exactly end well.”

“We’re more prepared. You’re not going alone this time, we’ll be all together. It’s going to be okay. It has to.”

“How can you be so sure?”Keith asked. 

“Because we can’t afford to get distracted by everything that could go wrong. It’s our best shot and we will take it, together.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It’s not. The important things are never easy, you know that.”

“Even if we win, what will happen?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro answered truthfully, pulling back. He went and sat on his bed, running his hands in his hair. “I hope Voltron won’t be needed anymore. I seriously need a vacation after this year and… I have had enough of space and aliens for a lifetime!”

 

Keith swallowed thickly. They had not really talked about his heritage, Keith never daring to bring the subject, and Shiro trying to avoid talking about what happened there and what he was privy to.

 

“All aliens?” He managed to ask, trying and failing to take a teasing tone.

“Oh, Keith… Come here,” Shiro said, tapping the space next to him on the bed. Keith joined him, sitting very still, hands crossed in his lap, hyper-conscious of Shiro’s gaze on him.

“I don’t care what you are,” Shiro continued . “because I know who you are. Your origins don’t change anything.”

“But the Galra… They… They took your arm, they tortured you, they destroyed so many lives!”

“You didn’t. Look at me,” he asked, a hand on Keith’s thigh. “You’re the one I love and I want to spend as much time with you as you’ll let me. Your origin doesn’t change this. It doesn’t have to change what is between us as long as we don’t let it change it. You’re still you, I’m still the same mess as before, and we’re still us, okay?”

“You’re not a mess, Shiro,” Keith said, brows furrowed. “Or if you are, you’re a hot one.”

Shiro laughed at that, his smile blinding. This man was so handsome it hurt.

“Well, will you be staying with a hot mess tonight? I kinda miss it.”

“How could I say no to this face?”

 

Keith moved back in the bed, back against the wall, getting more comfortable. Shiro took it as an invitation to lay his head in the younger man’s lap. Automatically Keith’s fingers went to gently nest themselves in Shiro’s hair, playing with the white strands and caressing the soft sides of his undercut. Shiro let himself relax as always, eyes closed, expression unguarded. A moment of peace just for them, enjoying each other’s presence without needing words.

 

“I love you,” Shiro muttered, almost half asleep.

“I love you too, you know that.”

“When this is all over, we’ll take our vacation together. We’ll go back to Earth, everywhere you want. I want you to meet my family.”

Keith’s fingers stilled in Shiro’s hair. He opened his eyes.

“Or not, if you don’t want to,” Shiro carefully said.

“It’s not that. It’s just… sudden you know?”

“For them, I’ll be back from the dead. I don’t think meeting my boyfriend will be the biggest surprise.”

 

Keith softly hit him on the nose.

“Stop joking with that! I really thought you were dead, you big doof!”

“I’m sorry they didn’t give me my regular call in space prison!”

“Why am I in love with you again?”

“I think you just love me for my body.”

“That must be it.”

“You know if I have had a choice, I would never have hurt you,” Shiro said after a moment of silence, sitting up and facing him. “I’ll never leave you again. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“This one, I can. I’ll never leave you again.”

 

Keith’s eyes met Shiro’s gray ones. He was almost overwhelmed by the love he saw in them. He leaned towards the other man and kissed him, desperately. Shiro’s hand came cupping his neck as he deepened the kiss. They interrupted the kiss only to take their breaths, before kissing again, lips sliding, tongues brushing softly. Time stopped and the world was reduced to them both.

Shiro pushed Keith until he was lying on the bed, the weight of his boyfriend reassuring above him. His own hands were roaming Shiro’s large and muscular back, earning him a satisfied humming from the older man, the sound resonating in him. Out of breath, they interrupted their kiss, gazing at each other lovingly, their faces separated by just a few centimeters.

 

“We should sleep if we want to be fully operational tomorrow,” Keith said, not fully believing himself.

“How about no?” answered Shiro, ducking his head to kiss Keith at the junction of neck and jaw, his left hand sliding beneath Keith’s shirt.

With a breathless laugh, Keith pushed his boyfriend back. “Eager much?”

“I missed you.”

“Me too. Promise me it’s not a farewell.”

“It’s not. I’ll be with you tomorrow, and the day after, and even the day after that,” Shiro said softly, punctuating each part of the enumeration with a kiss. 

Keith had wanted to believe him.

  
  
  


Keith woke up in his bunk, on top of the covers, with his Paladin armor still on. He felt stiff all over and the hand he struck the pilot seat with was hurting like hell. He couldn’t stay like that, but his whole body ached at the sole idea of moving. He remained still a little while, his thoughts still going crazy in his head. The anger was more diluted, but still present. He mainly felt empty. He had lost his better half. He stood up, wincing as he did.  _ Never sleep with the armor on _ . He changed into his civilian clothes. His hand was all swollen and hurt when he moved it. He had struck harder than he thought. He gave up on putting on his gloves and made his way to the common room, both hoping and fearing to bump into one of the others. He mainly wanted to find Coran to know what he could do for his painfully throbbing hand. He stopped right in his tracks as he heard voices coming from inside the room.

 

“We should go and check on Keith, it’s already been too long,” he heard Hunk say.

“He had quite a shock,” Allura answered calmly.

“What did you do to him?” asked Lance. “It was like bam, lights out!”

“I just did it to avoid him hurting himself or others, but that’s something we Alteans can do. We persuade the body to temporarily shut down. He’ll wake up when he’s ready.”

“And what will we do after that?” the Blue Paladin continued.

“We have to know what happened and begin searching for Shiro.”

“I’m in,” said Keith, daring to come inside.

All heads turned towards him, different shades of worry etched on their faces. Hunk was the first to stand.

“Are you okay, man? You’re… paler than usual.”

“I’m mainly okay, I think? Sleeping in armor is not a good idea,” he answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “And I think I hurt my hand pretty bad.”

“Dude! You’ve broken something for it to swell like that,” Lance said, eyes opened wide.

“You have to go to the infirmary,” said Allura, standing up to guide him.

“It’s not the most urgent thing right now. I can manage. We have to find Shiro. Do we have any ideas how?”

“I asked Coran to run a diagnostic on the Castle’s systems… ah, there he is.”

 

The older Altean entered the room, twirling his mustache with obvious worry.

"I have good and bad news,” he said. “Slav and I managed to fix the main systems during the battle and they’re still holding up but.. all secondary systems are offline, so no intergalactic navigation, no defense systems, no long-range detectors! We're flying blind!"

"How can we repair it? Do we need some weird components again?" inquired Pidge.

"We can repair it with the scaultrite we still have from the teludav… I may be able to unstick us from the conundrum we're in. I’ll need your help for more thorough diagnoses later on, but we’re mainly in working order. Except for the whole navigation and guidance systems like I said.”

“We don't know where we are," cut Allura. "I wormholed us as far as possible, but… In the heat of the action, the choice of destination wasn't exactly clear."

"If we can't fix the scanners, we can still do recon missions by ourselves. We still have four lions," said Lance. "Maybe there will be place where we can hide while we fix… everything that needs to be fixed."

"I don't think it's wise to send the Lions away right now. They need rest after the battle. You all do."

"With all due respect, Allura, I'm not gonna rest as long as I don't know what happened to Shiro," cut Keith, trying and failing to not sound angry.

"I understand and I respect that. But where do you plan to begin?"

"By going back on the scene of the fight. Maybe the emergency evacuation was activated, or maybe whatever Zarkon did messed up his lion and he was ejected. We have to go back, he may still be there!!"

"Your sensors would have seen it. None of your displays indicated an ejected paladin,", she answered softly.

"Sensors can be malfunctioning. I'm going. You won't stop me."

 

Keith turned away sharply, not bothering to heed his team's calls. He walked to Red's hangar, heart and mind heavy. He was going to go back right in front of Zarkon's ship if it meant getting Shiro back.

If he couldn’t find him, he would just have to go find a ditch somewhere to die in, because he couldn't even imagine a world and a life without Shiro in it. He almost went mad last time. Not again.

 

He finally reached his Lion. He smiled without joy.

"Hey girl, we have work to do," he said softly, reaching for her maw with his arm raised.

The Lion didn't move. Her eyes remained unlit.

"Red, we have to go! He could still be out there! Open up!"

The machine was still unmoving.

"What's wrong with you?!" he shouted. He was beginning to panic: he was losing his last way to do  _ something _ and not wallow in sadness and pity. "Let me in!"

 

He kicked the giant metallic paw. The sound echoed in the empty and unlit hangar, but his Lion still didn't move. Keith opened his mouth to shout something else, but decided otherwise. He went up on one of the paws, and sat there, trying to think. He also tried to reach to Red's consciousness. Maybe something was wrong with her after the battle… In his hurry, he didn't really make sure that everything was okay was with his lion, only focused on getting to Shiro as fast as possible. Maybe she was too damaged.

 

He felt a shiver creep along his spine when he noticed he couldn't feel their connection anymore. The warmth that had been present ever since he became a Paladin, was now gone.

 

Lance and Hunk came running after him.

“There you are!” exclaimed Lance. “You had us worried! Don't go all alone!"

"There's something wrong with Red."

"What?! What did you to your Lion?"

"I didn't do anything!" he shouted, a little on the defensive.

 

Lance had a way to push his buttons in almost any situation.  _ Patience yields focus, my ass, _ he thought.

 

"She just…  She's not letting me in."

“We should go see Allura,” said Hunk. “She asked us to bring you to the infirmary for your hand. And she had something to say before you left us hanging, man.”

With a sigh, he got off from Red’s paw.

“Fine, I’ll come and get myself healed so that we can  _ focus _ on what’s really important here !”

 

They made their way to the Castle’s infirmary. While Coran was expertly applying a healing lotion on his swollen hand, he explained what had (not) happened with Red.

"What do you mean?" asked Allura.

"Just what I said. I was right beneath her nose and she was not opening at all...."

"Did she react in any way when you entered?"

"Wha...What do you mean?"

"How were her eyes?"

 

Keith stopped for a while, trying to remember.

"They were...blank? Does that mean anything? Is she broken?!" he was panicking again. He wasn't sure if he could bear losing both Shiro and Red one just after the other.

"No that doesn't mean anything's wrong. Paladins, we may have a problem."

"Keith has a problem, I'm sure nothing's wrong with Blue. He’s the only one who broke his Lion,” interjected Lance.

"Lance, this is maybe not the best moment,” began Hunk.

"So, what is it?" asked Keith.

"Well, I think there's nothing wrong with the Red Lion," Allura said.

"You think?"

"At least, nothing that I could feel through my connection to it. But yours is stronger, so you would know if something was wrong."

 

She shot him a meaningful look. He rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"About that... I don't really feel... Our connection anymore..."

"WHAT?!" all the other paladins cried out.

"That's… That's not something you don't notice immediately, said Hunk."

"Madre de Dios, since when?!" exclaimed Lance.

"I don't know exactly," Keith felt lost. Lost and alone.

"When was the last time you felt her,", asked Pidge.

"Hmmm. In the Black Lion's cockpit, I heard her roar… But nothing since then... Do you think....?"

He couldn't finish his sentence aloud.  _ Do you think she rejected me because of what I did? _

"You're not the problem,” said Allura."It just means you're no longer the Red paladin."

"WHAT?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot it had already been one week, but here it is (it's still Tuesday in my timezone it counts!)  
> Hope you enjoy it.  
> I was surprised and excited by all your kudos, it warmed my heart, thank you all!

You were chosen to be the Black paladin," Allura stated, solemnly and as if it was obvious.

"No. Shiro is the Black paladin. There won't be another, and certainly not me," Keith answered.

"Keith..."

"Since when can you switch lions anyway?! Wasn't it supposed to be an unbreakable bond, stronger than magic?"

He passed his free hand through his hair with worry.

 

"Lance please, could you hold that for me?"

Allura had the black bayard in her hand, offering it to Lance.

 

"Humm, sure?"

He took it. It stayed inert, not changing forms.

 

"Keith, if you would be so kind?"

He reached to grab the Bayard like he would catch a venomous snake. It immediately changed back to the barbed sword from earlier.

 

"The Bayard is the weapon of a Paladin, Keith," stated Allura. "If you don't believe me, try to use your former Bayard," she continued, handing him the red Bayard.

He took it with a shaking hand. It did not change form.

 

"This must be a mistake. It must be damaged or something...."

He was freaking out. He no longer felt Red and his Bayard was not working. It couldn't be real. Shiro was the Black Paladin, not him…

 

"Keith, are you okay?" he heard Hunk ask. "Because you're kind of freaking us out right now?"

"I am no Black Paladin," he answered simply.

"I know it's hard to admit," sighed Allura "but we don't have a choice, the Lions chose it...."

"They can't abandon Shiro like that! I won't let them!"

"If Red is no longer active, you may not have a choice," said Pidge.

He turned sharply to her, glaring.

"I mean, we need all the Lions we can get, so if it means you riding Black instead of Red...."

"Would you stop piloting Green?"

"No, but..."

"I'm not giving up on my Lion. I'm the Red Paladin!"

Coran had finished healing him. Keith crossed his arms and held his head high as if daring the others to contradict him on that. Pidge was tapping her fingers on the table, looking everywhere but at him. Lance was splayed on a nearby chair, Hunk on his side, offering him a little smile of peace. Allura was watching him like a hawk, trying to read him. He held her gaze. The tension was palpable.

  


“Well, I know this is all hard to digest, but I may have a bit of good news!” Coran said, putting himself between Keith and Allura’s hard gazes.

“What have you found?” Allura asked her counselor.

“Well, you see, before coming here, I tried to connect to the Black Lion’s interface,” explained the Altean, twirling his mustache with no small amount of pride. “And I did find something interesting in the logs.”

“The logs?” asked Hunk. “Our lions have logs?”

“Of course they do! How do you think the Paladins of old could review their battle performances?”

“How come we never did those reviews?” interjected Lance.

“You didn’t? That’s weird… It’s pretty standard protocol to review the flight formations and degrees of coordination from everybody….”

“Coran! What did you find with the Black lion?” Keith cut him off angrily, unwilling to listen to the old man’s babbling.

 

“Ah, yes. Well, you see, at the end of your fight with Zarkon, and for a little while after it actually, the Black Lion was transmitting. The transmission was interrupted when its control board was… damaged, but it did begin when Zarkon was attacking you all.”

“What kind of transmission?”

“I don’t really know, I could only access some of the data because of the damage. Once the Lion is repaired, I should know more about it, but it may be a clue.”

“Yeah, if the transmission time matches with Shiro’s disappearance,” Pidge said.“They may well be linked.”

 

“What, like, the Black Lion transmitted Shiro away?” interjected Hunk. “Can the Lions even do that? And how would they do it? Is it like a teleportation? Or a download? Can humans be downloaded? I’m confused, guys.”

“It’s our only clue as to what happened. We have to know more,” said Keith. “Coran, how long until the Black Lion is repaired?”

“I don’t know… But I can roughly estimate… at least a few spicolian movements?”

“We’ll have to wait all this time to know?”

“I hate to interrupt,” said Lance, his voice laid back. “but it would be faster if someone hadn’t smashed the Black Lion’s control panel.”

 

"While we don't exactly know what happened with the Black Lion and this transmission, we still have to try our other options," said Allura diplomatically.

"Which are?" inquired Lance, on the defensive.

"Last time we saw Shiro, it was during the final battle with Zarkon. There is a slight chance he's still there," said Keith. "We have to do recon, to be sure we don't miss anything."

"Going back just in front of Zarkon's main fleet? I mean, even if we did defeat him, all of his armies are still there! It's a suicide without Voltron."

"We don't have a choice, Lance. If Shiro really was ejected, he won't survive much longer in space. We have to hurry if we want to find him alive."

"I don't want to sound negative," continued Hunk. "but finding Shiro in space, considering an ejection would have given him a set velocity and considering there is no friction in space to stop momentum... Well, finding a needle in a haystack would be much easier..."

"I can calculate the probabilities of derivation to try and see the points in which he could reasonably be. We can at least get a cluster of probabilities," intervened Pidge. "I should be able to calculate it pretty quickly, but we can still begin the reckon where we were."

"Once again, supposing Zarkon's fleet is not waiting for us there," exclaimed Lance. "You're all crazy."

"We don't have a choice," answered Keith. "Pidge, you do your thing, take the time you need. If you need help, maybe Hunk can give you a hand. Princess, could you check with our allies, if they know if Zarkon's ship was moved? Lance is right, we have to avoid a direct confrontation with the Empire's remaining forces for now. Lance, you have the fastest remaining lion, you'll do the first recon."

"Wait a second. Why are you giving me orders?" Lance rose from his seat. "Just because you can activate a Bayard does not give you any authority on me."

"Don't you want to find Shiro?"

"It has nothing to do with that. Allura can boss me around, she's the Princess. But not you. And while we're busting our asses off, what are you doing, o glorious leader?"

"I don't know yet. I'll try and take Red to join you on the recon."

"Oh, you'll try… well, that's reassuring. I'm not going alone into space just because you want me to, while you aren't even able to go with your own lion."

"Lance, that's enough," said Allura.

"Thank you, Princess, but I can deal with that by myself."

"That? Thank you very much, Keith!"

"Lance, he didn't say it like that," Hunk tried to say.

"You don't know that,” Lance said to Hunk and then turned to Keith. “Give me one good reason to accept you as my leader, mullet."

"Someone has to be!"

"And you think you're the only one able to do it?! That's what you think? The great Keith, best pilot of his generation, only one able to give orders to his pitiful teammates! You really think you're better than us?!"

"Don't drag the others into it, Lance. What you really want to know is if I think I'm better than you. And currently, yes, I think so, because I'm not throwing a tantrum instead of doing something to get Shiro back."

"I'm… Throwing a tantrum? You're an asshole, you know that? You threw a pretty big tantrum when you nearly slashed your new Lion in half! Why the fuck did Black choose you after that?! Now you're stuck here, because of you and your temper tantrums! So don't try and say otherwise."

"Lance, knock it off," said Pidge.

"So you're on his side, now Pidge?"

"It's not about sides, Lance, it's about staying together as a team. Keith has made some good points, I can swallow my pride and follow him, no problem."

"It's not about pride!"

"Isn't it?"

"Hunk, back me on this!"

"Lance, you're my best friend, but...I mean do you have another solution?"

"Everything except being lead by Keith. He's a hothead, his plans will kill us all!!"

"I meant about Shiro. Have you any other ideas to find him?" Hunk asked.

"Well no, but still. I'm not following his orders. I'll do what I want and come up with a good idea. Maybe I'll do nothing because there's nothing to be done!"

 

Lance rose and left the room. Hunk followed him, calling his name. Keith was shaking and he didn't know why. He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"I can't do it."

Allura put her hand on his shoulders.

"You did great. It's hard for them too, they have to adjust to the change. It will be easier with time."

"And if it's not?"

"We'll see. But first, you have a task to do."

"And what is it? I'm stuck in the Castle, I can't do anything!"

"Do you really think that because I'm stuck in the Castle, I can't do anything?" she said with a smile.

"That's not what I meant," he groaned.

"Of course, it wasn't. Anyway, we need to fix the Black lion to get more information, and to have more firepower in case the rest of the Empire comes after us."

"Coran said the reparations would take weeks!"

"You can quicken them."

"Oh, like I did with Green when she was damaged on Olkarion,” exclaimed Pidge.

"What?"

"When I got shot down by the cube, Green was really badly damaged, she wasn't moving. I had to replenish her quintessence by strengthening our bond. And she went back online, stronger than ever! With her new awesome vine cannon added!"

 

"That's the principle of it, yes," said Allura. "A Lion can get fixed far much quicker if their paladin stays with them and uses their bond to give them energy. If you can do that, the damage will reabsorb quicker. You have to bond with the Black Lion. It will also help you to find your place as her new paladin."

"So what, I sit in the hangar while the others do the heavy work?"

"Exactly. And to get in the right mindset, you'll need a uniform."

"No. No way I'm wearing Shiro's armor."

"Technically, Shiro's armor is lost with him… Okay, I didn't say anything," corrected Pidge after Keith glared daggers at her.

 

Everybody left for their own mission, even Lance. He did make a point to ignore Keith as he was saying goodbye to the others. Keith could deal with Lance's feelings later. He had a lot on his mind for the moment. He made his way toward the Black Lion's landing bay. The silence in the Castle and in his head was deafening. Usually, his connection with his lion and with the other paladins meant he never felt alone. He did not have that anymore.

 

When he arrived in front of the Lion, there was a Black paladin armor lying near it. It seemed to be his size. He still did not want to wear it.

He sat in his civilian clothes in front of the Lion. Without the urgency of saving Shiro, he felt… intimidated by the size of the Lion. Even if he already piloted her, she felt totally foreign compared to Red. He licked his lips, ran his hands over his thighs, and tried to find out how to bond with his new lion.

 

Last time he had to bond with a Lion, he was thrown out into space, but he doubted that would work this time. The lights in Black's eyes were still off. Shiro's presence was everywhere, heavy in Keith’s mind. He could almost feel the ghost of his touch on him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't let himself be distracted. Dimly, he was aware of the same energy he felt all this time ago in the desert. It left behind a numb sensation, an absence of something more than a presence. He latched onto that.

 

"Black, I know you can hear me. I'm sorry for what I did. My… My anger got the best of me. But you want us to work together. I can try that. Open up, girl."

He felt a weak tug in his mind.

"Like that, yes. We have to work together if we want you to repair faster. Then we can get out of here because it's creeping me out."

He felt the slight tug again.

"Yes, I feel you. What is it?"

 

No tugging this time. Keith was getting frustrated. He knew how to communicate with Red, but he had no idea how to act around Black. He felt stupid having a conversation alone in an empty hangar. It would all be easier if he could just go back to his Lion and join the others in the search.

 

He felt something slipping out of his mind as he thought that. He was alone once more.

"Wait! That's not what I meant!" Except it was. And the Lion poking inside his head knew it. He laid down on the cold ground with a frustrated groan. He didn't belong there. The purple highlights on the way to the hangar and around Black were reminding him of his trials in the Blade of Marmora's headquarters which in turn reminded him of his visions, of Shiro turning his back to him, and leaving him alone.

He punched the floor. _Fucking purple lights!_ He couldn't stand staying there and doing nothing. He had to take action or he would go crazy.

_Patience yields focus,_ he heard in his head.

He breathed slowly. Three seconds in, two seconds out. He sat up, legs crossed, and looked right in front of him. He had to be patient. Everybody counted on him. Time was of the essence, but he had to be patient.

 

In front of him, Black lowered herself to lie on her belly. She opened her maw as an invitation to get inside.

Keith stood up, hesitating. Last time he went inside Black it was to find that Shiro disappeared. He wouldn't be there this time either.

 

_If I don't make it out of here, I want you to lead Voltron._

 

Keith walked to Black and climbed inside. The ceiling lights in the cockpit were the only ones on, painting the scene in an eerie light and his skin purple. He regretted not taking the time to put his jacket and gloves back on. He stepped forward to the pilot seat. It was still empty. It was not a surprise, but it still stung. He sat stiffly. He did not feel comfortable sitting where Shiro had been sitting just days before. His hands were shaking when he tried to reach the commands. The control panel was before him, a big slash right in the middle of it, wires sticking out of it. He swallowed harshly.

"I'm sorry" he whispered in the emptiness.

 

The air was heavy around him. He felt a cold sweat running down his spine. He was not where he was meant to be. He had broken the Black lion, he could never earn her trust back. It was a foolish attempt.

 

He gripped the controls. Nothing happened. He did not know what he was waiting for.

"Come on, we have to work together. I want to make things right. Let me make things right."

 

He felt the growl inside him, coming from his gut and going all the way to his toes and to the top of his head. The seat advanced so that he was in a more comfortable position on the commands, feet resting on the pedals.

"We can do it, girl, tell me what you need."

 

Through their fledgling psychic collection, the Black Lion send him an image of Shiro, alone in a dark place, head hanging low. The Shiro he saw swallowed thickly, obviously in pain. He let go of the commands in surprise and felt a wave of nausea hitting him.

"I'm not Shiro, I can't be Shiro," he stuttered. "I can't, I shouldn't have tried."

He stood up and ran out of the cockpit, leaving behind the creepy lights and the oppressive atmosphere. He heard a soft wailing sound, coming from Back, asking for him to come back. But he couldn't, not if he had to see the ghost of Shiro each time he went in.

 

He left the hangar in a hurry, shoving Coran aside. He didn't hear what the Altean said to him. He took the direction of the Paladins' living quarters and entered Shiro's room. He hadn't been in there since their last night together. The whole room was empty. The bed was neatly done, the sheets cold from the absence of bodies on them. Keith still sat on the bed, resting his elbows on his knee and putting his face in his hands. He did not find any comfort in this empty and cold room. Barely a memory of times passed…

 

It was so much worse than the first time Shiro disappeared. At the Garrison, he had mementos. Their stuff was there, and he was able to take some of it with him into the desert. Here, they came with nothing, and he had nothing to hold as a keepsake. It was as if Shiro never existed. Being forced to take his place as Black Paladin was the same thing: it was as if it didn't matter if he was there before. He knew there was no chance of finding Shiro alive during these recon missions he sent the others on. The suit survival capacities were not sufficient for keeping a human alive for so long in the vacuum of space. Either they would bring back nothing, or they would bring back a corpse. Keith did not know which would be worse. He had already spent a year on the edge of madness, hoping for Shiro's reappearance, and he was not ready to do it again even though it had worked the first time. He felt so tired.

 

He let himself lie down on the bed, head on the pillow, gazing at the ceiling. Hope was a poison, but one he desperately needed. As long as he believed Shiro was alive somewhere, he could go on, grasping at the idea of not being alone. But he would not be able to pilot the Black Lion as long as he clung to this foolish hope.

But if he accepted what was almost certainly the truth, that would mean facing his greatest fear: he would truly be alone. Even among friends, he would have lost his better half.

He'd rather be dead. He had never felt this empty and cold in his life.

 

_You'll have to control your emotions if you're going to lead this group someday._

 

"I can't, Shiro! I can't do that. You knew I couldn't do that... I'm not you, and I'll never be. I can't take your place..."

His voice broke in a sob. He hated himself. He was just a crying mess when the other paladins were doing something to find Shiro, even if to no avail.

Even from far away, he tried to reach Red, his lion. He still felt nothing. He had only a faint trace of his link with the other paladins and lions. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on that. He only felt the heavy presence of the Black Lion on the reaches of his mind. He closed his mind and reopened his eyes. He knew the Lion was suffering as much as him, but he couldn't bear a vision of Shiro once more. He turned around to bury his face in the pillow. It still smelled faintly like Shiro. He breathed in deeply, trying to find peace with that. But soon even this trace of his lover would disappear. His stomach dropped like a stone at the thought.

 

He heard the opening of the door and stood up in a hurry, banging his head on the low ceiling of the bed as he went. He saw Allura coming in, a pinched expression on her face, like someone swallowing a lemon.

 

"You're not with the Black Lion," she said simply.

"I tried. I couldn't."

"Did she reject you?"

He sighed, and looked away, not ready to face the disappointment in Allura's eyes. "I rejected her. I can't pilot Shiro's Lion."

"It is yours now. She decided so."

"I know! I know that, but… If I do it, that would mean I truly believe Shiro to be dead. And that I can take his place. It's not gonna happen."

"Keith, I know what you're dealing with. But we have no choice," she sat down beside him on the bed, the mattress just slightly dipping beneath her weight. "We need all the Lions we can have, we still need Voltron."

"Zarkon is defeated. You don't need us anymore."

"Actually...."

"What?"

"Well, I sent Kolivan and the Blade of Marmora away to check the state of the Galra Empire. They're supposed to report to me in a few vargas. But the Galra army is huge. We took out their leader, but that does not mean the Universe is completely safe now."

"That's just great! What we did was useless then!" he raised his voice without noticing.

"No, Zarkon was still the worst menace. But his druids are still there and able to harvest Quintessence from planets. The different fleets disseminated in the Universe are still armed, even if nobody commands them. The Galra generals are not going to come and surrender quietly to us because we defeated Zarkon. We have to know what is happening in the enemy ranks. They are disoriented. For now. We need to be ready before they are. We need you in a Lion, Keith, and they decided it's going to be the Black one."

"So I'm just supposed to give up on Shiro like that? Like you all did?!" he all but screamed.

"I am not giving up on anybody," she said, standing up at his outburst. "And neither are you. But you have a duty as a Paladin of Voltron. You have to see that you can do it. If it helps, consider you're just there as an interim. But fix the Black Lion and pilot  it, it's an order."

 

She left without waiting for his answer.

He stayed in the room for a long time, thinking about what he could have answered if she had stayed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woops, I apparently forgot to update this for quite a while. No excuses for that, i'm sorry and hope you'll enjoy this chapter full of guilt and Paladins blaming themselves, ahoy!

Lance was back from his recon mission, the Princess announced over the com system. Keith hurried. He was the last to arrive. Lance had a somber expression. He was standing straight, hands behind his back. Something felt very wrong. When the Blue Paladin noticed Keith, he swallowed visibly.

 

"Did you find something, Lance?" Keith asked, not able to shake his unease.  
Lance sighed and steeled himself, standing even straighter still.  
"Good news is Zarkon's ship wasn't waiting for me. It was already gone, I don't know where. I used Blue's scanners, and also her sound cannon like we did with Pidge on Beta Traz and...."  
"Lance, what did you find?" Allura cut. Keith was glad he didn't have to do it. He didn't want to strain his already shaky relationship with Lance.  
"I… I found this."  
He showed what he had behind his back the whole time. It was the Black Paladin's helmet. Visor completely cracked.

Keith couldn't tear his eyes off it. His heart was like this visor: shattered, useless.  
"Where did you find it?" asked Keith.  
Lance's hands were shaking slightly while holding the helmet. Allura approached him and took it gently, not saying a word.  
"I… I got a match on my radar, it was among other debris... There was nothing else… I didn’t find anything else," Lance stammered.

"What do you mean, there was nothing else?" inquired Pidge.  
"I mean, I didn't see or detect anything else. No Shiro. No Galra. Just… Junk and this...."  
"He can't have gone far without his helmet, he can't breathe into space," Hunk blurted out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that,” he said when he was on the receiving end of everybody's glares, ” but…... No, I meant it exactly like that, he can't breathe into space without that."  
"Nobody's saying Shiro took it off by himself," corrected Pidge. "And it wouldn't be logical for anybody else to remove it... So...."  
"Logical or not, possible or not, we have his helmet, and we don't have Shiro," cut Keith, volume increasing word after word.  
"I'm just saying that if he was found by the enemy, they wouldn't have taken off just the helmet for us to find. It must have been an accident."  
"What kind of accident knocks a helmet off though?" Hunk thought aloud. "I mean, they are pretty well secured, so it's not a blow or centrifugal force… Can I see it, Princess?"  
"Sure."

Hunk was examining the helmet meticulously as Pidge approached, tiptoeing around to get a good view.  
"There is no visible damage except the visor… Which is in an open position.…" Hunk mused aloud.  
"That would imply it was broken inside the Lion," said Pidge. "Otherwise, it would have stayed closed."  
"We didn't find fragments in the cockpit," Hunk answered. "We would have if it was the case. Look, the missing piece must be quite big.”  
"If it was broken outside, it would have automatically sealed."  
"Even if Shiro was unconscious?"  
"I think the armor has this function, yes," said Allura softly.  
"So it can't have happened outside. Nor inside."  
"This is not logical," Pidge said, shaking her head. "Something happened there."  
"There is no blood or anything, so…... No traces of injuries, even with the force of the impact needed to break the visor…....I think it was already off when the helmet got broken."  
"Back to step one: when did Shiro have time to take this off?"

Keith was losing patience. He did not care for theories. His arms were crossed, he was tapping his fingers on his biceps, and soon was tapping his feet too. Lance was still silent, staring at the floor with an unnerving and unusual focus.

"Any ideas, Lance?" Keith said in a biting tone.  
"What?"  
"You were there, you found this, any idea what could explain it?"  
"I don't know. Why would I know?" the Blue Paladin answered on the defensive.  
"Well, usually you always have a good idea or something to add, maybe this once it could have been useful!"

Keith knew he was needlessly cruel. He did not care. The beast clawing inside his mind had to get out.  
"Well, you could have found it if you were able to pilot a Lion! It's easy for you!"  
"Where did you find it, Lance?" Keith stepped forward, right in Lance's personal space.  
"In the debris, I told you!"  
"What kind of debris?"  
"What difference could it make?!"  
"What kind?"  
"I…... I don't remember, they all look alike."  
"It may have been our only clue, and you can't remember?"  
"Clue for what? Depending on the debris, I would have found Shiro?! There's nothing to be found! He's dead! Let it go, Keith, he's dead!"  
"You don't know that!"  
"HE CAN'T BE ALIVE, HE CAN'T BREATHE INTO SPACE!"

 

The whole room fell into a stunned silence.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more," Lance said, tears falling from his blue eyes. "I just managed to find proof of Shiro's death. You can all hate me now. I can't do anything right, except that."  
"That's not what we think," Allura said, reassuring, a hand on Lance's shoulder.  
"I wanted to be the hero,” Lance continued. "I thought that maybe this time I could save Shiro.... I couldn't. I'm sorry."  
"Lance, there was nothing you could have done," Hunk said, coming on the other side of his friend.  
"I'm sorry…" said Lance, bawling his eyes out.

Keith turned his back on him and walked to Pidge. She gave him the helmet without a word. He kept on walking.  
"Where are you going, Keith?" Allura called behind him.  
"I have nothing more to do here," He answered coldly.

 

He left the control room without sparing a glance for his fellow paladins and Lance's crying. If he stayed, he would punch someone. He took the way of the Black Lion's hangar. When he arrived, Coran was still busy fixing things and plugging cables into the sentient machine.  
"Ah Keith, you came back, that's great. We can test your bond, there are anomalies I'd like to check with you."  
"I'm not here for that Coran."  
"What do you mean? And what have you there?"  
The cheerful Altean paled when he noticed what Keith was carrying. He hopped down from the Lion.  
"I can...I'll give you some time," he said, leaving the premises.  
Keith was grateful for that. He didn't need an audience.

He walked to the Black Lion, whose eyes were alight. He held the helmet high, as to shove it in her face.  
"What good are you, huh? You couldn't even protect him!!"  
The lion opened her jaw to invite him inside.  
"I'm not piloting you. I am the Red Paladin of Voltron, and you failed your paladin. You failed Shiro. Why should I give you anything?!"  
The railway leading into the cockpit deployed itself to rest at Keith's feet. He did not move.  
"You had the perfect Paladin for you. You… The man I loved trusted you. You know how much he did. And you couldn't even protect him? He died ALONE while you were busy trying to bond with another! Forget it, I'm not becoming your new toy to throw away!"  
He threw the helmet on the railway, who hit it with a metallic clang. A flow of emotions came to Keith, from himself and from his fragile bond with Black: fear, anger, loneliness, trust, love, everything mixed together in a maelstrom that pulled him under. All the hopes, all the plans were destroyed by the evidence: Shiro was dead.

Keith was done trying to replace him. He was done doing what people expected him to do. He left the Black Lion, never intending to return. Let her chose another Paladin.

 

He hurried to Red's hangar. The Lion was still inactive, but the particle barrier was not drawn up. He could feel a sliver of presence in his Lion.  
"Red, wake up. We're going."  
The Lion did not move.  
"I refused Black's offer. I'm not going to be another Lion's Paladin. We have to leave. I have to find Shiro, even if he's dead. Help me, you're the only one I trust for that. Please, Red, don't let her separate us."  
He put his hand on his Lion's paw, waiting against all hope a vibration or a reaction.  
"I know you're not waiting on somebody else. I'm back."

A low rumble was heard throughout all the hangar. The familiar presence was once again in his mind. He smiled when he felt the mental purring of the Red Lion.  
"That's it girl, open up."  
She still didn't open. But she sent images and impressions through their shared link. He felt a great pain and a great sadness. He saw flashes of her former Paladins. He felt the betrayal of Zarkon and the shattering of Voltron’s pride. She and Blue had lost their paladins in battle, and somebody else had to pilot the Black Lion to avoid it falling into Zarkon's hands. Candidates were chosen. They were all presented in front of the Lions. She noticed some promising Paladins among them. But she did not choose. The Black Lion did it first. The Black Lion always did it first.  
He saw an image of Voltron forming: first the head and body, and then the limbs.  
The familiar presence faded away, and the Red Lion was inert once more.

 

Either Keith accepted his place as the new head of Voltron, or he would no longer be a part of it.  
He chose the second option. The Blade of Marmora would welcome him.

 

He went back to his quarters. He saw Hunk coming from Lance's room, out of breath, and visibly worried.  
"Keith! Have you seen Lance?!"  
"I haven't seen him since I left you guys. Why would I have seen him?"  
"Oh, this is bad, this is very very bad! We don't know where Lance is!"  
"Have you checked with Blue?"  
"Not yet."  
The Castle’s communication system once again cracked to life.  
"The Blue Lion is gone!" announced Allura.  
"GONE?!" Hunk and Keith exclaimed at the same time.

"Lance couldn't have left us! He's… he's not like that, he would have told me, I'm his friend..." Hunk began to sob.  
"Princess, what happened?"  
"Keith, where were you?" Allura asked, with a thinly veiled anger.  
"I was in Black's hangar. I had something to do. What happened after I left?"  
"Pidge, Hunk and I were discussing what could have happened, and how to go from there, and… After a while, we noticed Lance was not saying anything, and he had left."  
"When did he leave?"  
"We didn't see, we were too engrossed in our conversations..."  
"So, he had the time to leave and take his Lion without any of you noticing?"  
"You didn’t see him either!"  
"I was in Black's hangar!"  
"The Lions must have felt it, they might have tried to warn you."  
"We don't have time to blame ourselves. Try his comm. Hunk, stop crying, you're not helping."  
"I can't help it! I can't believe Lance left! Where did he go?"  
"His comms are dead. He's not answering."  
"Shit," Keith muttered under his breath.  
"I'll keep trying. I have to know if he's safe. One of you should go after him, the Lions can find each other."  
"Oh, I'll go, Princess, I'll go!"  
"You're sure, Hunk?"  
"He's my best friend, I'll be the one to bring him back."  
"Hang on, Kolivan is trying to contact the Castle on the other channel, I'll put you on hold."  
"No need, we're coming," answered Keith.

 

Without a word, he grabbed Hunk's hand and led him towards the main bridge. Pidge joined them on the way, worry etched on her face. When they reached the bridge, Kolivan's face was displayed on all the holographic screens.  
"Ah, some of your Paladins are there, Princess," said the Blade of Marmora's leader, with all his usual respect when addressing her. "It's good they came to hear the news."  
"I wouldn't say good, Kolivan. If what you say is true...."  
"I can assure you it is, Princess Allura. I wouldn't lie to you, not after what we accomplished together. But my agents are certain of their intel."  
"Fine. We're listening."  
"We don't know for sure what happened to Zarkon after his fight against Voltron. We know for sure that his main fleet has left the battlefield to regroup, leaving only debris behind them."  
"We know that," Keith intervened.  
"Don't be so impatient, Paladin. You know that knowledge comes from unexpected places. As I said, the fleet left, with the witch Haggar at its head. Rumor has it she locked herself in with the Emperor's corpse in a desperate attempt to bring him back to life. Others say he's not dead but severely injured. In any case, he's in no shape to rule the Empire."  
"Who took his place?" asked Allura.  
"Different voices can be heard throughout the Galaxy. Some ambitious generals are already bringing their fleet to the main hub to try and take control of the whole army. There was also a recrudescence in… other rebel activities. The news of the weakening of the Empire spread fast. I have agents in different fleets, so we have an accurate representation of the activity. That's not what worries me."  
"And what is it?"  
"I have no definitive proof yet, but there are rumors that the Crown Prince is back."  
"The Crown Prince?" Allura gasped.  
"Zarkon's child. Prince Lotor. He was banished long ago, but some say in the Empire that Haggar summoned him back to take his throne. That would be dire news indeed.”  
"Why? He can't really be worse than Zarkon," muttered Pidge, loud enough to be heard by the Galra.

"Lotor is cruel, ruthless. He was banished because he was too blood-thirsty. He spent a lot of time in the arena, killing prisoners for his own sadistic pleasure. Zarkon had no respect for life; he saw everything as a mean to his end: total universal domination. Lotor has no goal, except spreading suffering. He will be a conqueror like his father, but it will be a bloody and senseless conquest. He doesn't have his power, so it may not be worse, but we can't let our guard down."  
"If the Prince came back, your agents would have noticed, wouldn't they?" Keith asked.  
"If he came back, he's on the main fleet. You know I lost my only agent there."  
"How can we help?"  
"For the moment, you can't. You have to remain hidden. Whoever can bring Voltron down will take control of the Galra Empire. I'll feed you intel, to avoid detection and continue our effort. If we can free other allies, we'll be able to contain the remains of the military. But we have to be quick. I'm transmitting you the position of the different fleets we know of, and some of the abandoned bases they left behind. I can't tell you what to do, but there may be some planets of strategical importance in this."  
"Thank you, Kolivan. We wouldn't be there without you," Allura said with emotion, bowing her head in front of the screen.  
"Don't thank me, Princess. It's not over yet, but you brought us hope to finish this. We are forever indebted to you. Please, all of you, stay safe. I'll keep in touch."

 

The screens disappeared. Allura turned back to her three remaining Paladins.  
"We need to heed Kolivan's warnings. Galra fleets are still in search of Voltron."  
"And Lance is out there too!" exclaimed Hunk.  
"We'll go after him. We have to bring him back. But we can't risk exposing two Lions and leaving only two to defend the Castle and launch new operations. We don't know how much time it will take to find Lance."  
"But I have to go!"  
"Hunk, we need you there," Keith intervened. "I know you're worried about Lance, but it will be hard enough to stay safe with only three Lions, we can't lose you."  
"Well, technically, two, because you didn't pilot Black yet," Pidge reminded him. "So yeah, Hunk, I'm worried about Lance too, but I won't be able to do anything by myself."  
"I know but..."  
"Hunk, worry not, I have found a solution," Allura said. "We need you to stay there but we can send a pod after Lance. You'll need to point us in the right direction thanks to the Lions' bond, and we'll get him back."  
"Princess, you can't leave the Castle, we need you to pilot it."  
"And she won't leave it! It is I, Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, that will go in her stead! I'll bring back the Blue Paladin, and prove my valor to finally join your ranks!" Coran said, enthusiastically while entering the bridge. "I'll pilot the pod fearlessly into the unknown and I'll bring Lance back to us, alive and well! I swear it on my mustache!"  
"Well, that's settled. Hunk, are you okay with Coran going?" Keith asked, a hand on Hunk's shoulder.  
"I'd rather it be me, but... Lance likes the guy, so it should be okay..."  
"I'll patch you up with the coordinates Green gave me! She's worried about the Blue Lion too I think."  
"We all are. But we can't let ourselves get distracted," Allura reminded. "We already lost too much and we can't stretch our resources too thin. Our enemies would jump on the occasion. Pidge, Hunk, you go and rest, you need to be ready for whatever happens. Coran, launch the pod."  
"Princess, are you sure you'll be okay without me?"  
"I can manage. Plus, it is a good reason for you to come back swiftly," she said with a sad smile.  
"I’ll be back in a few ticks, you won't even notice I'm gone!" said the older Altean while going.

Allura turned to face Keith.  
"You need to be ready as well."  
"I understand. But I can’t be."  
"What is wrong with the Black Lion? Why do you reject her?  
"I'm not..."  
"I'm linked to all the Lions, don't you forget. What is your problem?"  
Days ago, when their relationship was poisoned by the revelation of his Galra heritage, Keith would have taken the question as an act of aggression. Now, he wasn't so sure how to take it.  
"I feel like I'm burying Shiro too quickly," he blurted out after an awkward silence.  
"What?"  
"If I take his place. It's like I'm stealing his stuff while he's not cold yet. I can't do this."  
"Keith… I know it's hard. But we have a duty. I last saw my father alive just before going to sleep. You all woke me up, and he had been dead for ten thousand years. It still felt like ticks ago for me. I know what you're feeling and what you’re going through. But you can't let that jeopardize everything. We already lost a Paladin. We can't have another one on the sidelines because of personal feelings."  
"I know that. I just can't shake the feeling, not when Black's presence is so...."  
"So what?"  
"So familiar and foreign at the same time. I miss Shiro and Red. Black is… both and neither at the same time?"  
"She feels alone too, you know. Stop hurting her with your rejection. You can grieve together. Tomorrow morning, I want you in armor and ready to fly. Deal with whatever this is."

 

Keith understood when he was dismissed. He also knew what was asked of him. He went back to the Black hangar. He felt the towering presence of the Black Lion when he entered, both physically and mentally. He steeled himself. He did not feel ready yet. He took the black armor that was left for him on the side, and also took hold of the Black Bayard.

"I'll be back tomorrow. If you still want me," he did say while leaving. He hoped the Lion understood why he didn't feel ready now. With his precious cargo in his hands, he went to his room.

  
He opened a sliding panel on the wall, where he usually stored his uniform. He took out the red armor and put the black one in. He left the red armor on the side. He would bring it back later. It felt wrong to get totally rid of it. He left his new Bayard in the open, outside the dematerializing device hidden in the armor and went to take a shower.

He felt less than half of what he usually was. He had lost Shiro, but that was already old news. Now, they had lost Lance too. And the Galra Empire was more ready for them than they were. He had to go and take the Black Lion, even if all his instincts were shouting at him about how wrong this whole thing was. Now that Lance had left the Castle, his own decision to leave Voltron felt childish and stupid. Even if he could run away with Red, where would he go? He had no one waiting for him anymore. Kolivan would send him back to the Castle. Like Thace had said before letting himself getting blown up for them, he had a role to play as a Paladin of Voltron. He punched the shower wall. They were supposed to save and protect the Universe, not let people die for them! He couldn’t give up, even if he wanted to. That would be like spitting on the graves of the fallen. And seeing how many people had fallen around him…

He let the hot water wash away some of his discomforts. The rushing of the water above him was a distraction from the heavy silence that was settling in his mind. And if he was crying, he could blame the water. He took a long time beneath the jets, washing thoroughly his hair and body. He gently massaged the scar that still adorned his shoulder since the Blade of Marmora's trials. The memory of pain was still there, but also the memories of Shiro's soothing fingers and kisses. Bittersweet memories, where happiness came first from pain.

 

But this time, he didn't believe that happiness could come from the pain he felt inside. It was a whole other beast, colder and more ferocious, thrashing everything in its path and leaving behind a cold and dark emptiness. He felt more numb than sad, and that was more terrifying than everything else. He was losing grip on his emotions. He felt like a machine, going through his day without feeling. It wasn’t normal. He wasn’t normal. He was a hybrid, a freak of nature, and the only one who ever truly loved him was dead. His heart lay in shattered pieces at his feet. His sense of belonging was stolen from him when the Black Lion decided to override his connection to Red. He had no family, no real friends, except the Paladins, and when he saw how the others were connected… Nobody would rush after him if he left. His only future was to get back to his former life as a dropout looser in the desert if he didn't die during this war. My life is fucking perfect, he concluded while drying his hair with a towel. He would have the worst bed hair ever tomorrow, but he couldn't bring himself to care and brush the mess he had just made. That would be tomorrow's problem.

He stripped down to his underwear and went directly to bed. The sheets were soft but cold on his naked skin. Instinctively, he pressed himself against the side of the wall, waiting for Shiro to join him. He felt stupid when the absurdity of it all struck him. He shuffled towards the middle of the bed, lying down with arms extended on each side. He willed himself to sleep, to no avail. He tossed and turned, and tossed and turned again.

 

He sat up, lit the reading light embedded in the bunk's ceiling and took his knife out from under the bed. He didn't wrap it to hide the glowing symbol anymore. He hadn't awoken the Blade anymore since the trials either. He had made a step forward in understanding the mystery of his origins. He wished he hadn't. It was easier making up stories than facing the truth he was half-alien, with no chance whatsoever of having an explanation why. He was not ashamed but puzzled. How was his existence even possible? Why didn't he feel Galra? Or maybe he did, and he just believed he felt human? He tested the edge of the blade with one of his fingers, nicking the skin just enough to draw a single droplet of blood. He licked it. He felt like he was missing something important in the big picture, but couldn't put his finger on what. Being half-Galra… It changed everything and nothing at the same time. How could it be any different? He didn’t change because he knew, it was always in him.

After what felt like an eternity, his eyes began to droop. He sheathed his knife and put it under his pillow like he had the habit of doing when he lived alone. He let himself fall into sleep.  
He dreamt.


	4. Chapter 4

He dreamed he was back on Earth, driving his hoverbike at breakneck speed in the desert. It was exhilarating. The warm wind smelt like freedom and victory. A massive ship flew over him, casting its great shadow above him. He knew this ship. It was the one from the Kerberos Mission! Keith reached for the phone in his back pocket, thumbing through all the messages his friends from the Garrison left him.

_ “The Kerberos mission is back in advance! Come quick!” _

 

His heart skipped a beat. Shiro was back. He raced with the ship that was beginning his descent. He could make it. He had to. He knew a shortcut, through the cliffs, trusting in his hoverbike to break the fall. The ship was still ahead of him, but he could see the landing pad a few miles away. The ship slowed down, and Keith sped up. He reached the bottom of the landing pad when the ship was almost landing, getting closer to the ground feet after feet. 

He left his bike behind him and ran through the crowds, not minding the bodies and the cries around him. He elbowed his way through, some people getting out of his way when they recognized him. He came through the crowd when the ship touched Earth for the first time since a little bit under a year (eleven months and ten days precisely). He recognized the wife and daughter of Commander Holt. He nodded in their direction. They nodded back. The emotion was tangible when the door of the ship opened. Keith knew the protocol, but he was still bouncing on the balls of his feet.

 

Samuel and Matt Holt descended first and ran to their family. The pilot had to be the last to get off the ship. Keith was biting his bottom lip in anticipation. He had waited too long for that.

 

When Shiro finally appeared on top of the walkway linking the ship to the ground, Keith launched himself towards his boyfriend. The light of the sun was nothing compared to Shiro's smile at this moment. He jumped into his boyfriend's arms, half laughing half crying.

 

"I've got you, Keith, I've got you," Shiro whispered while hugging him tighter than he ever did.

"You're back. You're really back," Keith said, kissing Shiro on the lips, the forehead, the cheeks, everywhere he could reach, gripping his wide shoulders with his hands. Shiro felt so solid beneath him; he couldn't believe it.

 

"I've missed you so much."Keith managed to say, choked up by emotion.

"I missed you too baby, you couldn't believe how much. I'm never leaving you again. I swear, Keith, I'll always be by your side."

Keith wrapped his legs around Shiro's waist and took his face in his hands. He properly kissed him this time, a kiss promising much more and telling everything he couldn't for the moment.

 

"Welcome home, Takashi. It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back,” Shiro answered, a sweet and loving smile gracing the curve of his mouth.

Keith and Shiro were still kissing when they heard a polite cough behind them. Keith still in his arms, Shiro turned around and faced Iverson.

"Mission accomplished, sir," Shiro said proudly. "The Kerberos expedition is a total success."

"What did you find up there then?" came and asked one of the scientists left on the ground.

"Proof of alien life. They are out there, and they are ready to help us."

The crowd cheered at that.

 

"Keith, you won't be able to believe it. They offered us a place in space among them. Earth is ready to join other species as equal in the Galaxy."

"Really? That's… That's fantastic."

Keith couldn't get excited. Something was wrong. He wanted to be as happy as Shiro sounded, but something was deeply wrong.

"They followed us. They'll be here soon," Shiro said to Iverson, kissing Keith on the cheek afterward.

 

As soon as he had finished talking, a whole fleet of sleek purple ships appeared in the sky, just materializing there. A whole fleet of Galra cruisers. Keith's stomach fell like a rock at the vision.

 

"Don't worry, Keith, we will join the glory of the Galra Empire. After all, they're your family," Shiro whispered to him, still smiling in the innocent way of his. His hair was still pitch black, no scar marred his nose, and his eyes were glinting with pride and happiness when he talked of the Galra.

"They only ask of us to bring them to a Lion. I didn't really understand, but it doesn't matter. We're together and will always be."

"No, Shiro, we can't trust them. They're not here for us. They're conquerors, destructors, we can't stay here."

 

Keith struggled to get out of Shiro's embrace. His boyfriend's smile fell.

"What do you mean? I did that for us, so we could be together. Is it not what you want? Or do you choose, once again, to be alone?"

 

The young Shiro that had embraced him just seconds ago was replaced by the vision he had of Shiro during the Trials, face hard, a frown set on his features.

"You should be happy. By bringing the Galra here, I didn't get tortured for a year, we didn't become paladins of Voltron, and we're still both alive and together. You said that was the most important for you."

"Not like that. Never like that."

 

Keith stumbled back. He was no longer wearing his civilian clothes but was clad in the Black paladin's armor.

 

"You're just glad to finally take my place. Admit it: you're happy I'm dead."

"No. You can't say that. I don't want to replace you. I'd give everything for you to be back."

"Liar."

 

The sky was burning alight. Thousands of Galra drones were now walking in the desert, like the vision he had during the Trials. But Red was nowhere to be seen this time.

 

"Neither Black nor the team will ever trust you like they did with me," growled Shiro, advancing towards him, his bionic hand glowing with a menacing light.

"I know that," Keith replied. "But I have to try. Otherwise, everything that we did together would be meaningless."

"It already is. The Galra will win. The universe will fall under their domination. Do you really think you can stop it without Voltron, and with a team that is falling apart?"

"We have to try!"

"Try, try, try, that's all you're good at. Then, try and fail, Black Paladin."

Shiro charged him, his fist poised to strike.

  
  


Keith woke up with a start before the hit connected. He closed his eyes, struggling to keep his rapid breathing under control. Shiro would never attack him. It was just a dream, nothing more. He felt a reassuring presence coming in his mind, the vast and calm presence of the Black Lion. He finally opened to this new bond. He had to. She was a rock, a beacon which he could grab to find stability, soothing him.

 

He stood up from his bed and opened the locker. He took out the Black Paladin armor. The undersuit was the same as before. The pieces of armor were heavier and bulkier than his old ones. When he had finished putting the armor on, he looked in the mirror. The armor felt heavier on his shoulders, but not only because of its physical weight. It was weird seeing himself in the color that had always been associated with Shiro for months. It made him look… older, wiser in a way. It felt more grounding than carrying the Red armor. It was a mark of responsibility, which he had accepted when he decided to wear the armor. An approving purr came from the Black Lion.

 

He stored his Bayard in the armor, ready to be materialized as soon as he needed. He also found a place to store his knife just like he did before. Helmet under his arm, he got ready to make his way towards Black's hangar to check if she was ready for a test flight. He had piloted her before, but never really flew her.

  
  


As he exited his room, he bumped into Pidge and Hunk going to the common room for breakfast. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him, eyes wide.

 

"Wow, Keith, that's a… different look for you," exclaimed Pidge, readjusting her glasses as if to see better.

"That's what Shiro wanted," he answered with a sad smile. "But it's weird, even for me."

"It's weirder for us," she answered.

"It's a good different though," cut Hunk. "Not that red didn't suit you because it did… But man, you had us worried these days, so it's nice to see you ready to get back in action!"

"Thanks, Hunk. And sorry to have worried you. I needed time to... process."

"Of course, we understand but… Remember we're your friends, and we're here for you, whatever you need, man, ok?" said Hunk, a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Keith put his hand on Hunk's. "I'll keep it in mind."

"I guess you didn't suit up for breakfast," asked Pidge, smiling.

"No, I'm going to try to take Black on a test flight. Maybe breakfast after."

"Oh, that's right, you have to get used to it. I mean she's obviously bigger than Red so the trick flying is going to be harder. I'm not sure she is as easy to steer around… Better to test first and not plant her in a Galra ship because you were still used to Red, right?"

"Something like that. She also has to get used to me. I don't fly like Shiro. I'll see you later."

"Good luck, and don't faceplant in the sand this time!"

"It was Lance's fault!"

 

When he arrived in Black's hangar, she was waiting for him, regally sitting. He once more felt her approval to see him in armor.

"Now that we're working together, what do you say about a test ride?" he asked, putting on his helmet.

She opened up to him, and he went inside with purposeful strides. He sat in his new seat. Black had the presence of mind to adjust to his overall shorter frame before he went inside. Hands on the commands and feet on the pedals, he saw the gash in the control board was still there. It was no longer the same size as before, but it was not totally mended. He reached for the gash. Wires were no longer sticking out like crazy, but it was still an ugly scar in the Lion. He would not forget he was responsible for it.

"Is it okay?"

 

Black let out a reassuring rumble and stood up in the hangar, poised to take flight. The cockpit was filled with a soft purple light. The main display was up, but some pieces of information were lacking, surely because of the damages in the control board.

 

Black was responsive to his every command. She didn't have the speed of Red, but she maneuvered exceptionally well for her size. The added equilibrium from her wings really helped whenever he suddenly changed direction. Both the take-off and the landing were a breeze. Keith was getting the hang of it, thanks to the helpful advice and images from Black herself. She predicted her moves and really complimented his style well. She was the best co-pilot he could hope for. 

He was flying around the Castle, not daring to go too far away. But empty space was not the best way to test flying capabilities. The Black Lion helpfully located an asteroid belt just a few doboshes from them at full speed. He contacted the Castle.

"Allura, this is Keith."

"Keith, where are you?"

"In the Black Lion."

"Really? That's great!"

"Taking her on a test flight. There is an asteroid belt not far away, we'll be going there shortly."

"Hummmm... I can see it. It's not far, but we need to be ready in case the Blade of Marmora contacts us."

"Hunk and Pidge are still in the Castle and I'll be back in at most a varga. It will be okay."

"If you think so… But the Black Lion is not fixed yet, do you really think you should be going?"

"Trust us. We know what we're doing."

Keith cut the connection.

 

"I hope so," muttered Allura. "Coran, tell me you have some good news," she said, opening a new communication channel.

"Well, I think I have a good inkling of the location of the Blue Lion, but it is faster than my pod so... Also, I had to stop en route to do some shopping, we lacked some components for some fixes I wanted to do on the Castle and I met with some..."

"Coran, that's not what this is about. We need Lance, quickly. He could fall into a trap by the Galra. Or by every charming alien that crosses his path..."

"Ohh, do I detect jealousy, Princess?"

"Not at all. Just worry. He did get his Lion stolen once already after all. It's just... basic caution."

"For sure. I'll bring him back, don't worry."

"I know you will. But I'm afraid, Coran. I don't know what I will do if we lose someone else. We can't afford it. The Universe can't afford it. I'll do everything to protect what we have."

"I know. Like your father did before you. But don't be too harsh on yourself Princess, you did everything you could. It's not your fault. You almost gave your life against Zarkon. You disabled the Witch's magic. We wouldn't be here without you."

"Thank you, Coran. I think I needed to hear that," she wiped tears she didn't know were falling from her eyes.

"I'll contact you when I have further news. Go and take some rest. You seem exhausted."

  
  


As soon as they arrived at the asteroid belt, Keith dived right in at full speed. He felt the rush of adrenaline honing his reflexes. He and Black were in perfect sync as they were turning, dodging and progressing in it. He felt as if he was flying alone among the stars; the Lion an extension of his body. It was not as responsive as Red, but it felt... more natural in a way. Like flying alone instead of flying a sentient ship. Black's presence was far more discrete, steering him in some ways, nudging him in others, but also offering a calmness that sharpened his mind.

 

"OK, the flying is awesome, but let's see your firepower."

He activated the jaw blade and slashed through the smaller asteroids like they were nothing. The lasers were also larger, but slower to charge than Red's. Black’s leitmotiv, Keith realized, was this: slower but more powerful. He had to be patient and collected to truly master the Black Lion. It was like getting from a light fighter to a heavy one. As they were flying, their minds were also getting closer, Keith trading memories of learning to pilot on Earth against memories of ancient battles, feelings of inadequacy against reassurance. They went outside the asteroid belt and just speeded through space, to see how far they could go.

 

_ Transmission incoming _ flashed the main display in the cockpit.

"Transmission accepted. Let's hear it."

 

"Keith? Keith, are you there?"

Keith froze. It was Shiro's voice. Tired and on the weak side, but unmistakably Shiro's.

"Shiro! Shiro, where are you?" Keith shouted, his voice trembling.

"I… I don't know. Where are you? Where are the others?"

"I'm… I'm in the Black Lion, the Castle is not far away, Hunk and Pidge are there. Shiro, we thought you were dead!" he barely bit back a sob.

"I don't think I'm dead just yet. But it's the first time I manage to contact someone, I'm so glad it's you. I miss you so much, Keith."

"We'll find you. Do you know where you are?"

"I have no idea. I can't see anything. One moment I was in Black, and the other... I wasn't? That doesn't make sense..."

"Don't worry, I'll lock onto your signal, Pidge will find something, just… What have you been doing all this time?"

"All this time? It's barely been hours..."

"It's been days, Shiro."

"No. No, that can't be, it's only a few hours at most. I mean in days I would have gotten hungry by now."

"I tend to keep a good track of time when my boyfriend goes missing," he deadpanned.

"Keith? You're cutting out, I can't hear you."

 

Massive interferences on the line cut their communication.

"Shiro? Can you still hear me? Takashi, I swear to God you better answer me!"

"I'm still here. Connection's holding. I think. You must be worried sick to break out the first name..."

"Don't you dare joke about that! I thought you were dead! Again!"

"I'm sorry. I know how hard it is for you..."

"No, you don't. Don't move, I'm coming to get you as soon as I pinpoint your location."

"I know you will," Keith could hear Shiro's smile in his warm voice. "I'll be waiting for you. I love you, baby."

"I love you too."

 

The display flashed red. Connection dropped.

  
  


Keith immediately opened a channel to the Castle.

"Keith, is something wrong?"

"I need Pidge to trace the location of a communication. I'm sending you my log so she can work on it," he blurted out.

"Keith, I don't understand..."

"Shiro contacted me, I don't know how, and he wasn't able to tell me his location, but if we can triangulate it, I can go and get him back."

"Oh, Keith..." Allura's tone was bordering on pity.

"What? I'm sure Pidge will be able to do it in a few ticks."

"The log is empty. Your last communication is with me."

"No, no, that can't be right. Check in the incoming comms. It was ticks ago. I know it happened. I'm not going crazy!"

"There was no incoming call towards the Black Lion. The log is empty. We can't use data which isn't there."

"But… I heard him just now!

"Keith… How could he have contacted the Black Lion alone in space without his helmet? I'd like Shiro to still be with us just as much as you do, but..."

"I'm not crazy. I heard him. I know it. He's still out there Allura!"

"It could have been an echo of an old transmission..."

"It wasn't. You have to believe me!"

"Even if I did… If the log is empty, we have no data to trace the call, and it's a dead end. You know we shouldn't get our hopes up."

"I know what I heard. Keith out."

 

He cut the transmission without waiting for an answer. He pulled out the log on his display. Empty. But the memory was still nagging at him. He knew what he heard, and it wasn't an echo. So why didn't the log show up? What is it because of the damages? His eyes fell on the gash. It was almost totally mended now.

"You heard him too, right?" he asked the Lion, desperate for a confirmation. She flashed an information panel on the cockpit's main display. It was all written in a script that he couldn't understand but didn't look like Altean.

"I can't read that. Can you transmit it to the Castle?"

The display went black once again.

"I guess that's a no then. But why?"

He had a vision of all five paladins, with their respective Lions, different scripts being used by each one. The Princess was nowhere in this vision.

"Ok, a secret between Lion and Paladin. I still can't read it. For now at least? Maybe it's a bond thing?"

The Black Lion mentally nodded.

"Great. Just great. More bonding if I want to know if Shiro's alive or if I'm finally losing my mind. Can I catch a break sometimes? Or is it too much to ask the Universe?"

  
  


He made his way back to the Castle, thoughts in disarray. He knew what he heard, even if it seemed impossible. He went to the kitchen, finally ready to take his breakfast. Hunk and Pidge were already gone. He ate in silence, taking comfort in the silence around him. Sometimes he needed time alone. Social interactions were… overwhelming with people who weren't Shiro.

 

"Ah Keith, I was searching for you!" Hunk said, entering the room.

So much for peace and tranquility.

 

"I just came back. I wanted to eat a bit before going back outside."

"Allura told us you're… not feeling okay?" Hunk asked, sitting on the opposite side of him.

Keith let his spoon down with more force than he intended. The noise made Hunk jump in surprise.

"I'm great,'" he bit back."I don't know why she told you that."

"Well, she didn't give details but... She's worried about you… I mean, it's already hard enough for me, but I wasn't as close to Shiro as you, so I can't really begin to imagine what it must be like..."

Keith closed his eyes and took a breath before answering.

"It's hard. But really, I'm okay. I just have to… take some time to process things over. No need to worry about me. We have already enough on our plate as it is. Oh, do you know where Pidge is? I have something to ask her."

"Humm, I think she's working on the Green Lion. Again. Installing another upgrade. I'm kinda jealous, my Lion doesn't let me do that."

"Thanks, Hunk, I'll go see her. And don't worry, I'll manage."

"I know you will. Just remember you don't always have to do that alone. We're a team. We're stronger together, even if we can't form Voltron, you know that?"

"I'll keep it in mind. Thanks, Hunk."

"No probs man, we're bros for life. Come here."

"Why?"

"You look like you need a hug."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do, even if you don't know it."

Hunk closed the space between them with a surprising speed, hugging him. After seconds, Keith let himself relax in the warmth around him. It was nice. Maybe he had needed it after all. After a minute, just before it became awkward, Hunk let him go, patting him on the shoulder, a warm smile on his face. Keith couldn't do otherwise but answer to him in kind.

  
  


He soon joined Pidge in Green's hangar, but the smaller paladin was nowhere in sight.

"Pidge?" he called into the vast empty space.

"Here!" came a voice from behind a stack of crates, that looked like it was going to topple over at any moment.

 

"What are you doing over there?"

"I'm searching for something, AH, found it!"

Pidge emerged from behind the crates, hair disheveled, grease on the bridge of her nose and a small metallic object in her hands.

"This time, it's gonna work!"

"What is going to work?"

"Oh, I'm trying to install a better localization device on the Green Lion. Something to enable us to easily find other Lions and the other Paladins. If I can install a powerful receptor, I may be able to do some kind of Voltron radar. This way, we'll find Lance easily. And we would have found Shiro more rapidly too..." she sniffed audibly, and rubbed her eyes, getting some grease on her clothes.

"Speaking of Shiro," he began, not sure how to breach the subject.

"What?"

"Well… Do you think it's possible for a communication to take place and not be registered on the comm log?"

"I would say no… But there are some hidden logs in the Lions, I think. I mean, they are incredibly complex machines, and sentient ones, so they may have their secrets just like us…  Why?"

"I think Shiro may have contacted me. I don't know from where, and the log doesn't show it. Allura thinks I'm going crazy, but I know what I heard."

"Wait… Shiro contacted you? How?"

"I don't know. But it was not an echo or a recording, I know it was real." his hands were tightly balled into fists.

"I believe you. It's not the strangest thing to have happened. But that means Shiro is still alive, somewhere where he can contact the Lions… This is great news!"

"We still have no clue how to find him, he couldn't describe where he was and I have nothing to show for it..."

"Well, yes, that's the hard part but if he did it once, he may do it again, and this time maybe you'll be able to record it so that we have something to work on. It's not gonna be easy, but… It's better than just believing he's dead right?"

"Of course it is. Do you think you could tinker with the Black Lion to try and find those hidden logs?"

"I can try. But usually, other Lions don't really like me poking around. We'll have to ask very nicely."

"Can we do it now?"

"Hum, sure, if you want..."

They were interrupted by a blaring alarm.

 

"Attack detected. All Paladins, get to your Lions, quickly," said Allura's voice, an evident sense of urgency carried by her words.

"Just after that," said Keith, breaking into a sprint to get to his Lion.

"It's a promise," Pidge nodded before getting ready to change in her armor that was laying next to her.

 

As soon as Keith was in the Black Lion, he joined the main communication channel.

"Allura, what is it?"

"The Galra are attacking both Arus and Olkarion. Two fleets were located around their orbits, and fighters are already entering both atmospheres!"

"What?" exclaimed Hunk. "We can't defend both planets at the same time! There's only three of us!"

"Even with the five of us, we never had to defend two places at the same time," said Pidge who had joined the channel mere seconds ago.

"Allura, do we have an idea of the fleets' power?"

"Hang on, I'm trying to get a scan. The Arusians don't have the technological level to get me the intel I need, but the Olkari on the other hand… Six cruisers and all assorted fighters attacking the Olkari. I don't know about Arus."

"The Olkari are more important tactically. Arus can be rebuilt. Pidge, Hunk, you're going to help the Olkari with the Castle acting as a cover. You should be able to protect the main infrastructures thanks to the Yellow Lion, and to destroy the cruisers with the combined firepower of the Castle and Green."

"And you?" asked Hunk, obviously worried.

"I'm going to Arus. If the fleet is smaller, I'll join you as soon as I'm able if Allura can open me a wormhole. Otherwise, you'll have to help me, but I'll be able to at least reduce the losses among the Arusians."

"You're crazy! You can't go alone, we don't even know the size of the fleet on Arus!" shouted Pidge.

"But we know who's attacking the Olkari, and you'll need to be together. This is the best solution. Allura, can you open a wormhole to Arus before getting to Olkarion?"

"Keith, are you sure?" asked the Princess, hand hovering around the commands.

 

"I'm sure. It's the only way. Don't worry about me, be quick. Everything's gonna be okay. But we have to split if we want to save both the Arusians and the Olkari. I won't choose between them."

"Good luck, Keith. Wormhole opening in ten ticks for Arus, in twenty for Olkarion. Paladins of Voltron, get ready."


End file.
